The present invention relates to a safety control system incorporated into a washing machine used for processing clothes with boiling or hot water, and particularly, to a safety control system in a boiling clothes washing machine for controlling the operation of the water heater when the water heater temperature detecting means malfunction.
FIG.1 illustrates a partial elevational side view of a boiling water clothes washing machine provided with a heater temperature detecting means and a wash water temperature detecting means according to the prior art. Heater 2 for boiling the wash water in a tub 1 is placed between the outer bottom surface of a spin basket 7 and the inner bottom surface of a tub 1. One underside portion of the heater 2 is placed in contact with the upper portion of a metal bracket 3 which is mounted in the inner bottom surface of the tub 1. Thermistor Th1 and thermostat 36 are mounted on the lateral interior surface of the metal bracket 3 such that thermistor Th1 and the thermostat 36 do not come into direct contact with the wash water in the tub 1 but so that they can detect the temperature of the heater 2. The operation of the heater 2 is thus controlled by the thermistor Th1 and the thermostat 36. Additionally, another temperature detecting means, i.e. a thermistor 6 and a thermostat 37 are mounted on the inner bottom surface of the tub 1 such that they are directly immersed in the water of the tub 2. The thermistor 6 and the thermostat 37 detect the temperature of the water and accordingly the operation of the heater 2 is controlled. In the system described above, the overheating of the heater 2 is prevented by the operation of the heater temperature detecting means, i.e. the thermistor Th1 and the thermostat 36. Further, when the heater temperature detecting means is not operational, the water temperature detecting means, i.e. the thermistor 6 and the thermostat 37, operate to cut off electricity to the heater. Therefore, the overheating of the heater can be prevented.
However, in the system described above, when the heater temperature detecting means malfunction, it takes additional time for the water temperature detecting means to detect that the temperature of the water is becoming overheated. During the time delay, the inner bottom surface of the tub can become distorted due to the excessive heat generated by the heater which is mounted adjacent thereto. Furthermore, overheating of the heater increases the possibility of causing a fire in the washing machine components.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a safety control system having a fuse assembly in order to solve the above problems in a boiling water clothes washing machine.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a safety control system in a boiling water clothes washing machine to increase the user's confidence that the risk of fire is reduced.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a safety control system in a boiling water clothes washing machine that will cut off the flow of electricity to the water heater if excessive heat is conducted through the heater support member when the initial heater temperature detecting means malfunction.